A-level Couple Therapist
by DianaMoth
Summary: Shinobi were so withdrawn and secretive, they didn't welcome outside help with open arms. Yoko wanted to change that. She couldn't believe it had worked on the Jounin Commander though. His marriage to Yoshino truly mattered to him. Yoko was going to help him save it.
1. Chapter 1

The card was slipped in front of him like his refill always were. Silently. Discreetly. Without judgment.

It was late in the evening. Chouza and Inoichi had left the restaurant an hour ago to go back to their family. Shikaku had stayed, unwilling to hear his wife complain about not warning her he wouldn't be there for dinner. He had asked for more sake so he wouldn't be kicked out of the restaurant. Now, when he was going to go home, Yoshino would complain about him drinking too.

He put down his cup of sake, still full, and raised the card to his tired eyes. He read: "Yamanaka Yoko - Counselor". There was an address included.

The hand which had delivered the card was still brushing the table. He followed it up to full red lips, a wide nose sprinkled with freckles, and eyes of teal hidden behind oval glasses. He drew back a little and realized that the round friendly face was surrounded by a halo of golden curly hair. The lips stretched into a soft smile.

"Drop by whenever you feel like it," she said before leaving.

Shikaku turned the card to find an addendum: "Certified for A-level shinobi - couples therapy - career counseling". Frowning at the implications, Shikaku slipped the card in a pocket of his vest to forget it for a few days.

A week later, while he ate with his best friends in the same place, he showed the card to Inoichi and asked: "You know her?"

"Yoko-chan? Sure thing. Why do you have her professional card?"

"I don't remember seeing her before." Shikaku knew most of the Akimichi and Yamanaka, at least by sight, especially since she was around their age.

"Two years above us in the Academy," Chouza said helpfully. "She was very discreet. She filed for the medical corps as soon as she passed her genin exam. She didn't even _try _the Jounin path. She knew what she wanted."

"You know her too?" Chouza was better at remembering people than he was, but still.

"Her mother was an Akimichi. Half. Senju blood from her grandmother. That would make Yoko-san half Yamanaka, a quarter Akimichi and Senju."

Ah, that would explain it. Chouza was interested in genealogy, especially his family's. If you had Akimichi blood, he knew about you. Now that Shikaku thought about it, the counselor had indeed the round build of the Akimichi, especially around the face and hips.

"So, why do you have her card?" Inoichi repeated.

"She gave it to me last week, after you were gone. Said to drop by whenever I wanted," Shikaku admitted grumpily.

Inoichi chuckled, ignoring the glare it got him, and said: "You should. She's good. She gives lessons in psychology to the kids in the medic corps. After the war, with the increase of trauma, she managed to convince the higher-ups that every medic should know the basics. I think she's writing a book too, so everyone can have access to basic knowledge. She's very big on popularizing psychology. It ruffles some feathers, especially among the elders."

The oldest generations still stuck to the principle that every knowledge should be hoarded and kept for a very selected group of apprentices, regardless of public interest.

"Why did she give me her card?" Shikaku asked.

"Why did you stay after we left? You said you would finish your glass and go," Inoichi replied with a raised eyebrow.

Shikaku didn't bother to reply. His friends both knew he had some marriage troubles.

"Yeah. I don't think she needed to read your mind to guess you had a problem."

"Like half of the damn population," Shikaku grumbled.

"She is quite popular," Inoichi agreed cheerfully.

Chouza nodded. "Heard of her by word of mouth. Some of my men said she changed their marriage. They look happier too. You should try it."

"No."

"Why not?" Inoichi asked, playing with the skewer he had just cleaned.

"I'm the damn Jounin Commander, Inoichi. I'm not going to be seen visiting a counselor," Shikaku grumbled before emptying his cup of sake.

"Ah. Secrecy. Alright. I'll talk to her, see if it's possible to meet somewhere else than at her office."

"That's not what I—"

"It shouldn't be a problem. It might take some time to arrange your schedules, though. I'll check with your secretary and let you know," Inoichi concluded cheerfully.

Resting his cheek on his palm with an elbow on the table, Shikaku stared at his friend with annoyance and resignation. Inoichi was damn stubborn. Now that he had set his mind on it, it was pointless to resist.

"Fine," he grunted before tearing off some teriyaki from a skewer.

oOo

They met two weeks later on top of the Hokage cliff, in a deserted park between the archives and a temple. There were stone tables carved with go boards. Yoko was sitting at one, two bowls of stones open next to her, sign that she was waiting for her opponent. The black stones were hers, and she had already placed six of them, announcing that she was weaker than him by six ranks (Shikaku was well known in Konoha to be at the highest rank, 1st dan, which made her a 7th dan, not bad at all). Shikaku hadn't even planned on them playing, so it was a good surprise.

It was a warm day. Despite the tree shadowing the board, Yoko was wearing a short purple yukata and holding a pink folding fan. She was staring at the view over the village distractedly.

He stopped in front of her and waited patiently for her to notice him, noting how she startled when she did. She was really genin level.

"Good morning, Nara-san," she greeted him with a smile and pointed to the opposite seat with her closed fan in invitation.

He bowed his head and sat down. "Thank you for meeting me here."

"It's my pleasure. I certainly don't have such a nice view from my office," she replied cheerfully.

After a quick look over the board, Shikaku took a white stone from his bowl, gripping it between the index and middle fingers, and placed it without a sound.

Yoko opened her fan, looking for some fresher air as she considered her move. "Would you like to tell me about the evening you stayed so late at the restaurant?" she asked after putting down a stone next to his.

"I have some disagreements with my wife," Shikaku admitted after a minute of silent consideration and a new stone on the board.

Yoko raised an eyebrow, inviting him silently to continue as she considered his strategy.

"She doesn't like me to come home late."

When he didn't continue, Yoko placed her stone and asked: "Because you drink?"

"I drink because I know she's going to nag at me when I come home," he replied immediately, making his move too fast. He didn't like to speak while playing, but the point of this wasn't really the game itself, was it?

"Why does she do it?"

"I don't know."

"Did you ask her?"

He looked up and met Yoko's eyes for the first time. "No."

"Why not?"

He licked his lips and glanced at the Nara forest he could see at the horizon. "I assumed she just wants to control me."

"Does that seem like something she would do?"

He wanted to reply yes, but it wouldn't be true. Yoshino had never been the clingy type. Before they were married, during the war, she had been extremely understanding about any emergency he had to deal with, even when it came up in the middle of one of their dates. He had liked that about her. She had her priorities straight. "No."

Yoko placed her next stone. "Why do you assume so then?"

He considered this, and the game for a few minutes, before making his move and admitting in the same breath: "That's something a cousin told me, that wives always want to control you after marriage."

"Seems like a sexist and depressing generalization," she pointed out with a dismissive wave of her wrist, her fan making strands of honey hair flew away from her cheeks reddened by the heat.

Shikaku nodded in agreement.

She put down her next stone. "So what should you do?"

"Ask her."

She smiled, her freckles stretching. "Seems like a plan. I'll be here in two days. It looks like a good place to see the sunset. I can't believe I never thought of it before."

He understood the invitation and nodded in acceptance before leaving, back to his reports and the meeting he had in an hour.

Two days later, she was waiting for him again, the stones back to their places. She must have noted them down. It was a common practice, but he didn't think she would bother. The light was getting low, piercing under the trees' foliage.

He sat down and placed a stone at the same time. "I can't stay long. My wife is waiting for me for dinner."

"You spoke to her," Yoko replied, apparently unbothered by the absence of greetings. She was wearing a long teal yukata. The wind this evening was cooler and sharper, blowing her hair in a mess of curls.

"She called me an idiot because _obviously _she worried when I was late."

"A fair concern."

"Why didn't she just say so?!"

Yoko put down a stone with a sharp 'clack'. "Why didn't you ask her in the first place? Assumption, I believe you called it. In the same way that she assumed it was _obvious _enough."

Shikaku sighed and nodded. Fair enough.

"What will you do about it?"

"Try to remember to warn her when I'm late and apologize for worrying her when I don't," Shikaku replied with a shrug as he placed a stone. It wasn't a very inspired move.

Yoko tilted her head without commenting. She considered the board in silence before placing her next stone. With her elbows on the table, she crossed her fingers under her chin and commented: "Assumptions and the lack of communication are often the sources of many troubles in a marriage. It's considered easier to keep quiet and go on rather than risk rocking the boat, the family boat, the foundation, by speaking of the elephant in the room."

Shikaku played without replying.

Yoko glanced briefly at the board before looking at the sun setting on the forest beyond the west gate. Her hair was dancing around her face with flaming highlights.

"I have to go," Shikaku said as he stood up.

"When you're ready to talk about that elephant, Nara-san. You'll find me here during my lunch breaks. It's too windy for sunsets, after all."

oOo

Yoko had been born into this new world in a rather embarrassing turn of events for most people involved.

Her mother, Momoko, —a rather stubborn woman by her Senju lineage and a sturdy one by her Akimichi blood— had insisted to pay her respects to the Fire temple and pray for her incoming newborn a few days before the planned delivery date. It was nothing new to her, it was her third pregnancy and they all unfolded rather predictably and flawlessly (she was just one of those lucky women, but then the Akimichi often were, good constitution and all that).

So, of course, her waters broke. She was in the middle of her second bow, a monk helping her to stand and kneel as necessary, and she just stopped, a hand on her stomach and the other on the ground, murmuring: "Oh, dear."

She hadn't gone to the small temple near the Yamanaka compound either. No, she had to go to _the _Fire temple, the original, the first one built in Konoha. The temple to the top of the Hokage mountain.

She hadn't waited for her husband, Yamanaka Daisuke, to come home from training his genin team either. Only her six years old son and four years old daughter were accompanying her. The first ran so fast that he nearly fell down the cliff's stairs to fetch his father. The second helpfully breathed in time with her mother to keep her calm, while the monk led them to a meditation room out of the way, fanning Momoko like she was the Sage of Six Paths reincarnated.

That's where Yoko came to the world, in that little room in the temple, with a young monk turned into a —surprisingly competent, Momoko liked to say— midwife. A few seconds later, her father reached them, followed by his genin Dan Katou who, at 13 years old, was a competent enough medic that he dealt with the postnatal first care and only scared them all once when he nearly dropped the kid.

All in all, embarrassing, but it could have been worse. It certainly made a great story that they liked to recall.

It's the story that Yoko liked to use to explain her fascination for the temple. No, she wasn't particularly religious, although she followed the rites she had been taught by her mother. But she was drawn to this place. She found peace here that she couldn't reach in the crowded city of Konoha or even in the quiet of the Yamanaka gardens.

Sitting in seiza, Yoko stared at the shrine with a busy mind. She had just left Nara Shikaku after their second official meeting, and she wasn't any closer to the answers she was looking for than the first time she had talked to him in that bar.

See, her birth wasn't the only thing a bit peculiar about Yoko. She had… delusions when she was younger. She had gotten better, mind you, now she knew that the tailed beasts weren't real and that there was no such thing as a jinchiruki. Obviously, all of that was part of the Sage of the Six Paths' legend. It was just a story. Everyone knew that… Everyone except eight years old Yoko, which had made her the laughing stock of the academy, but nevermind, that was in the past.

At that age, she had also thought she could predict the future. Ah. Good one. She had said that Namikaze Minato would be the Yondaime, but that one had been easy, to be honest. Thinking that he would die less than two years later though, that was just silly. She must have watched too much TV when she was really small (she blamed her older siblings) to think that the Kyuubi would just appear and try to destroy Konoha.

But all of that was behind her now. No more delusions or daydreams about another life without chakra (she had some strange ideas… boring ones too: no chakra, how dull).

Still, when she had seen a forlorn Nara Shikaku in the restaurant where she had celebrated her sister's birthday, she had… a hunch. Something was wrong, and maybe she could help. Her mother would say she had to stop trying to fix everyone and everything, but what would she do then? what would be the point of her life? She _needed _to help.

Shinobi were so withdrawn and secretive though, they didn't welcome outside help with open arms. They would rather lick their wounds than to admit that they were festering. Yoko wanted to change that. She couldn't believe it had worked on the Jounin Commander though. Someone else must have convinced him. Inoichi maybe? He was a good man.

She had helped, but she felt like her work was far from done. Hopefully, Shikaku would agree soon enough.

oOo

"I don't know what to say," Shikaku admitted as he settled at the table with a bento in hand.

The stones weren't in place. Yoko hadn't brought the bowls. After two weeks, she had probably given up on him. Yet, she was here, eating her own bento despite the cloudy weather and the long climb necessary to reach this park.

She chewed on the onigiri she had been peacefully eating, watching him without judgment. "Start with what made you come today."

Shikaku sighed, stared at the meal perfectly arranged in his large box and picked an omelet roll. "Something's wrong with my wife." He chewed at the bland piece of proteins.

"How so?"

"She changed."

"When?"

Shikaku paused in his fight with the radish he was trying to grab. That was a question he hadn't considered. His focus had mostly been on why.

He'd like to answer 'recently', but it would be wrong. It had just become obvious to him after he had cleared the air a bit between them. He tried to remember with an open mind, looking for the point of change, but it had been gradual wasn't it? That's why he hadn't worried at first because… oh.

"Shikamaru's birth."

Yoko hummed and chewed thoughtfully. "What changed?"

"Nothing drastic. She became more easily irritable, but she was tired due to birth and then it was a bad time for everyone. She's… more listless, and she worries more easily although I'm less at risk with my current job than I was before. I thought all of this was due to the birth, but it has been two years."

Yoko nodded encouragingly, but Shikaku stopped and waited for her to… to what? explain to him the mysteries of his wife's mind? Nonetheless, Yoko gave him a helping hand: "It seems you have pinpointed the origin, maybe the causes, of the change. You might want to open a discussion on the subject, to learn more and see how you can help."

Shikaku made a face. "That will be hard, she keeps things close to her—" He stopped and stared to the side.

Yoko followed his look curiously. In the otherwise deserted park, near the stairs going down the cliff, a woman was staring at them. Yoko swallowed her mouthful of rice. "Your wife, I presume?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't tell her about us."

"No." Shikaku sighed. They both knew what their meeting would look like for most people. He stood up. "Excuse me for a moment." He walked to Yoshino without hurrying, not looking forward to the tongue lashing he was going to receive before he could hope to explain. When he was close enough though, she didn't speak. She stared at him without reaction. That worried him more than anything else. If there was a sign that she had changed, this was it.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "She's a counselor," he said bluntly.

Yoshino blinked and tilted her head. Those were the only signs that this wasn't what she had expected.

"She's the one who advised me to talk to you about coming home late. I'm seeing her for advice, that's all."

Yoshino looked over his shoulder at the blond waiting and watching them. Shikaku glanced at her just in time to see her smile and wave in greeting.

"Her name is Yamanaka Yoko. Inoichi recommended her." Shikaku stared at his unresponsive wife and decided to take a chance: "Would you like to talk to her with me?"

"Why?"

"Yoshino… I know something is wrong. If you don't want to talk to me, I can also leave you two alone, if you prefer, but I think you need to talk to someone… Am I wrong?"

She stared at him, glanced at Yoko and then looked back at him. "Hitomi said you were cheating on me."

"Hitomi is an idiot," Shikaku replied firmly, adding to himself _"who'll get sacked for the rest of the year." _He stepped forward and reached for her cheek, caressing her softly. "I love you. I want to make our marriage work."

Yoshino watched him silently and then looked back at Yoko. "Introduce us," she demanded. She met his eyes and lifted her chin. "I want that too."

* * *

_I had ideas to make this a polyamory relationship between the three of them at the end, but I felt like it was good enough as it was. I hope you liked it!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi! I was happily surprised by the response the first chapter got. Thank you for your enthusiasm and your requests for more! It turned out that I was in the mood to write some OT3 fluffiness so... I ended up writing this. Don't expect anything too serious and developed for the AU. Some IRL events don't put me in the right state of mind for anything too complex. Enjoy! _

_**Warning:** this ends in polyamory, and that's the whole point of the chapter so if you don't like that, don't bother reading._

* * *

Yoko woke up with a foggy mind. The room was too bright. Didn't she close the curtains yesterday evening?

Wait.

She opened her eyes suddenly and rose on her elbows. She wasn't in her bedroom! In fact, she wasn't even in her apartment, because…

"Ah, you're awake."

She spun around and nearly toppled down the couch she was resting on. She blushed, extremely embarrassed to find herself looking up to an amused Jounin Commander. He was standing, dressed for the day and not a hair out of place, with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Good night, uh?" The corner of his lips rose in amusement.

Yoko sat up and tried to tidy her hair. She knew that her blond curls tended to be a right mess in the morning. It wasn't her best look.

She cleared her throat and tried to find her voice to reply. "It was, yes. You?"

"Yeah, good. Pretty surprised to find you on the couch when I came back, though. Yoshino didn't offer you the guest room?"

"She face-planted on the couch. I wasn't going to carry her up," Yoshino replied as she appeared out of the bathroom, looking ready for the day. "She's a lightweight."

Shikaku raised an amused eyebrow. "Is she?"

"I am," Yoko confirmed with a solemn nod. "But!" She raised an index. "I rarely have a hangover, so… I'm okay with that."

Shikaku chuckled and left for the kitchen. Yoshino smiled fondly at her and tousled her hair (damn it, no need to make it worse!).

"Come on, go freshen up. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Five minutes later, at the kitchen table, the three of them were sharing the story of their night with good humor.

It had been a year now since they had spoken together on the Hokage mountain for the Nara's first couple therapy. The meetings had stopped after ten months, but a deep friendship had been born from it. Yoshino, who had so few friends, had invited Yoko for a night out, officially to thank her for her help. They had never stopped since. Yoko was all too glad for it. She didn't have many friends either, and she was very fond of the Nara (a bit too much, perhaps, but she was handling it well). Shikaku was glad to see his wife more lively and enthusiastic. He usually took care of Shikamaru when the women went out. However, last night, Shikamaru had slept over his new best friend's house (Chouji's), so his father had been able to go out with Chouza and Inoichi.

This system, offering more freedom and outlet to the couple, was doing them a lot of good. Yoshino had recovered from her postpartum depression after sharing her unease with attentive ears. The two of them had spent more time together with Shikamaru. The Nara clan was more accepting of Yoshino… Everything seemed to be for the best.

Yoko smiled as she sipped on her miso soup and listened to Shikaku teasing his wife about her ability to drink any old man under the table. She was so glad to see them at peace.

"Ah! You know what I learned?" Yoshino asked her husband.

Yoko whined, guessing what her friend was thinking of. "Come on, Yoshino! Let me live it down!"

Shikaku raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"No, can't do," Yoshino replied, ignoring the way her friend hid behind her hands in embarrassment. "She thinks you're hot."

Shikaku paused in surprise with his chopsticks in his bowl of rice.

"I know. It's cute she still has such disillusions," Yoshino commented with a grin.

"Are you saying I'm not?" Shikaku asked, frowning.

Yoko watched through her fingers, glad that the conversation seemed to turn away from her somewhat.

"I've seen you chasing Shikamaru, covered in deers' droppings."

Yoko made a surprised face, but Shikaku was rather exasperated.

"Oh, wonderful. So this killed all the glamour in our couple?"

"Pretty much," Yoshino confirmed before laughing at his face. "I'm kidding. Of course, you're hot. You're just so grouchy that I'm surprised Yoko noticed."

Oh, damn, they were looking back at her. She grabbed her chopsticks and went for the last grains of rice in her bowl with extreme concentration.

"I'm not that grouchy."

"You're frowning so often you're getting wrinkles."

"Do I, really?"

Yoko slowed in her chase for rebellious rice, observing the exchange in relief. Yoshino was so talkative that she filled the silence when you stayed quiet. It was a tactic that Yoko and Shikaku both used regularly… but _he _was unusually chatty.

The conversation drifted as they finished their meal. Yoshino left to go to the toilet, leaving Shikaku and Yoko to clean up the table. They tried to remove a bowl at the same time. Their fingers touched before Yoko withdrew, prompting her to look up and meet his eyes.

"You alright?"

She blinked in surprise and nodded. When he hummed and went to put the bowls in the sink, she realized that he had voluntarily turned Yoko's attention on him to spare her the embarrassment.

She rubbed her face. This wasn't helping her crush, at all.

oOo

Two weeks later, the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka clans had one of their regular gatherings. Yoko didn't often join since she wasn't fond of crowds, but Yoshino and Shikaku had to, due to his status as clan leader. So, this time, Yoshino had convinced her new friend to come to keep her company.

The party was organized by the Akimichi and always happened in their compound. The Akimichi took care of the food. The Nara and Yamanaka handled drinks, decorations, and games. Everyone brought something. It was the custom.

Yoko arrived with a handful of games. She added them to the table where kids and adults could choose from, among the traditional hanafuda cards, mahjong, go or shogi boards. There were also hanetsuki paddles.

"Hey, Shikamaru-kun," she greeted the young boy dozing nearby.

He opened an eye and grunted in reply. He had gotten familiar with his mother's new best friend. She sometimes looked after him when his parents went out together.

"Chouji didn't arrive yet?"

"He helps with the food. I'm supposed to choose a game," the three-year-old boy admitted.

Yoko chuckled. "Was that too troublesome? You decided to take a nap in the middle?"

"Yeah…" He rubbed his forehead and glanced at her hands with mild interest. "What did you bring?" She often had original games and ideas to offer.

"I have a guessing game, where a player draws a word, and he has to make you guess without using that word…"

"Do I need to move for that?"

She chuckled at his laziness. "Not necessarily."

"I'll take that then," he decided, stretching out toward her.

She handed over the version of Taboo she had created herself (originally to help couples communicate, but children could play just as well and didn't need to know about it).

"Do you know where your parents are?"

"They're setting tables."

Yoko went to give them a hand and found herself embroiled into and keeping the party going. She had never talked to so many people on the same day and seen so many of her patients, past and present, at the same time.

"Hey, shrink," one of them greeted her as he came to get some of the miso soup she was serving.

"Excuse you?!" Yoshino took offense, looking up from the rice she was distributing.

Nara Ensui recoiled at her anger. She was known among the clan for her scary lectures.

"It's fine, Yoshino," Yoko intervened. "It's something my patients call me when they want to be discreet."

"Oh. Alright then." Yoshino relaxed but grumbled: "Calling you by your name would be more discreet."

"Ah, but that would break the Nara's phlegmatic attitude," Yoko pointed out, chuckling as she handed Ensui a bowl of soup. "How are you, Ensui-san?"

"Better, thanks. Your idea works."

"I'm glad to hear it. I'll see you on Tuesday then."

Once they had some time alone, Yoshino leaned on the table and commented: "I didn't realize you had so many patients among the clan."

"My experience with the Nara is that there's a lot more work in your legendary calm than you'd like to let everyone think."

"What do you mean?" Shikaku appeared behind her, startling her. He was sometimes too lazy to bother warning her of his approach by being louder or more obvious.

"I mean… That it's a matter of clan pride to stay outwardly calm and composed, even when you're struggling and in need of help."

Shikaku frowned and buried his hands in the pockets of his dark green haori. "I see." He nodded and went around her to grab a bowl. As he did so, he brushed the sleeve of her blue yukata with pink flowers.

"You look good," he said before leaving.

"Thank you," Yoko replied belatedly, watching him leave with surprise.

Yoshino chuckled. "Since you convinced him to compliment me more often, it has become a habit."

"Well, there are worse habits to have."

"I won't complain," Yoshino agreed. "He's right by the way, this yukata goes well with your eyes. I should have taken the time to put on a yukata too, but I was late waking up Shikamaru… again," she grumbled.

"You look great in that dress. Modern and elegant at the same time."

Yoshino grinned. "Thanks!"

A child running by caught Yoko's attention. She removed her apron and excused herself to run after him.

"Fū!"

The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder, making a face at his cousin. The seven years old was the son of Yoko's paternal aunt. He had recently lost his father in mission. Yoko had tried to get him to talk to her, but he was cocky and convinced he didn't need anyone.

"What?"

"Is it true that Danzou-san offered to mentor you?"

The Academy student on the fast track to becoming genin early (if he got his way, but the Yondaime refused most requests now that they were at peace) grinned with pride. "Yes!"

Yoko made a face and bit her tongue, knowing that the boy was too eager to prove himself to listen to her if she warned him against Danzou, a renowned war veteran. Inoichi had already tried after all.

She had no choice but to let him go. Her fingers closed around the fabric of her yukata with a tight grip. "Damn it," she sighed.

oOo

It was late in the evening when Yoko jumped down from the roof into the Nara's garden. She hadn't tried to be discreet. Shikaku looked up from his shogi game to glance at her curiously. At her tense expression, he tilted his head.

"Yoshino's taking a bath," he informed her.

"She's not the one I came to see," Yoko admitted. Sitting on the wooden patio, she removed her sandals to sit cross-legged opposite Shikaku. "I need advice from the Jounin Commander."

"Ah." He moved a piece and then rested his hands on his thighs. "What for?"

He had noticed the scroll she was holding, of course, but he pretended to ignore it until she handed it over. He opened it enough to glance at the title before looking at her. She held his gaze, knowing that he understood her question without it to be said. He looked back at the scroll, opening it as he read. Once he had gone through its contents, he closed it and handed it over. He shook his head.

It wasn't enough to stop Danzou.

Tears gathered in Yoko's eyes. She looked away, biting her lips. "Thanks," she managed to whisper. She went to stand up, but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

Shikaku pushed the shogi board away and pulled her to him. "Come here."

She didn't have the will to resist. She leaned into his embrace, letting her forehead fall on his shoulder.

"Is this about the kid Inoichi told me about?"

Yoko sniffled. "He's my cousin. He just lost his father and that… that _asshole_'s taking advantage of that to manipulate him! I can't let him. I _can't_… but I don't know what else to do. Fū won't listen, he wants to prove his worth too badly."

Shikaku patted her back. "You can't save everyone, Yoko."

She raised her head brusquely and glared at him. "He's not everyone! He's my cousin, damn it! I washed that midget's diapers!"

Unbothered by her outburst (he had gotten worse from his wife), Shikaku shifted to sit with one knee raised. "Then you should be able to find a way to convince him. Don't you manage to get strangers to listen to you?"

"Only when they are willing to listen…" She paused with her eyes lost into space. "There might be a way…"

Shikaku hummed. It was his version of 'I told you so'. The tip of his fingers went down her back, bringing goosebumps to her skin.

The sliding door opened to let out Yoshino. Wearing a bathrobe and her hair in a towel, she watched them curiously. "Is something wrong?"

Yoko straightened, embarrassed to be found leaning on her friend's husband, but Shikaku replied for her: "Yoko needed an ear."

"And a shoulder to lean on," Yoshino observed. "It's a change of our usual dynamic." She smiled and tilted her head toward the kitchen. "Come on in, I'll make you a cup of herbal tea."

"I don't want to impose."

"Don't be silly. Come in!"

Shikaku gently pushed Yoko toward the door.

She complied.

oOo

Shikaku watched Hitomi leave the room with a cold look. When the chuunin had finally left, he relaxed into the couch of the Hokage's office.

"Still angry with her?" Minato commented, amused. He left his desk and came to sit opposite his friend. "It has been a year. I'd have thought it was too troublesome for you to bear a grudge for so long."

"It is, but she did it again last week."

"She accused you of cheating again?"

"Not in so many words," Shikaku sighed. "She made a comment at Yoshino about how often I could be seen with Yoko."

"How did Yoshino take it?"

Shikaku smirked and leaned forward to grab a file on the coffee table. "She humiliated her in front of the whole shop, apparently. These two have a rival thing going on since the academy."

"You'd think that after all the dreadful missions you dumped on Hitomi-san last time, she'd have wised up," Minato commented.

Shikaku sighed and shook his head. Unfortunately, he was well placed to know how few people learned from their mistakes.

They were going through the last A-level missions' reports when the door opened after a knock. Kakashi came in, slouching and closing the door behind him with his foot. His teenage years were taking revenge on a much too serious childhood.

"You asked for me, sensei?" Kakashi asked, leaning his forearms on the back of the couch.

"Ah, yes, Kakashi-kun. I got a request for you," Minato said with a smile.

Kakashi perked up. "A mission?"

"Of a sort. Yamanaka Yoko filled it."

The teenager groaned and pulled away. "No."

Minato's grin widened. "I see she has already talked to you about it. I think it's a great idea."

"You would," the teenager sighed. "I'm not taking an apprentice."

"It wouldn't be right now, but in a few years, once Fū has finished the Academy."

"From what I heard, he could finish now."

"We're not at war anymore, it's not necessary. So, in five years, you'd be twenty-two, it would be a good time for you to take an apprentice."

"I'm ANBU."

"ANBU serves for an average of five years. You're already at four."

Shikaku watched the conversation with interest. So this was the alternative Yoko had thought of. It made sense. For a prodigy like Fū, Kakashi would look like an even better option than Danzou. He was the Hokage's apprentice, the most famous child prodigy _and _a war hero. It made sense, but it was ambitious. Shikaku wasn't aware she knew Kakashi…

"She's your counselor. If she suggests it then she thinks it would be good for you to be a teacher," Minato was pointing out.

Ah, that would explain it. Kakashi truly needed a therapist, but Shikaku had heard that the teen had already gone through the ANBU specialists and found them wanting. He hadn't known Yoko was next on the list.

"She only thinks that because he's her cousin."

"Now, that's unfair and you know it. Did she ever fail you?"

Kakashi shrugged and rubbed his nose. "Maa. It has only been two months, give her time."

"You only ever needed one or two appointments to get rid of a therapist before," Minato pointed out.

"She's not as bad as most of them," he admitted reluctantly. "But I'm still not taking care of a kid. She can ask someone else."

"She can't," Shikaku spoke up for the first time. "There aren't many better options than Danzou out there."

"Anyone's better than Danzou," Kakashi retorted, but he sighed and tilted his head in agreement.

Although Root had been officially disbanded, none of them were naive enough to think that Danzou was behaving. There were rumors, such as those Yoko had compiled and shown to Shikaku in the hope it would be enough to get rid of the old geezer. Unfortunately, Danzou had too many supporters for nothing else than solid evidence to be effective against him. He was still officially a jounin sensei and could take an apprentice.

"Fine. I'll just check out the kid, okay?" Kakashi disappeared without waiting for an answer.

"That went well," Minato approved proudly before looking down at the reports they were working on. "So, you were saying?"

When Shikaku came home that evening, he found Shikamaru lying in the sun on the front lawn. "Why aren't you inside?" Shikaku asked.

"Mom and Yoko-san are talking clothes," Shikamaru explained, grumbling. "They're loud."

"Ah." Indeed, while he was removing his shoes in the entrance, Shikaku could hear them talk in the living-room.

"I thought you wanted to go for a 'responsible clan wife' look," Yoko was commenting. "Where does this come from?"

"I wanted to try sexy," Yoshino replied.

"... Is this about Hitomi?"

"I can pull off sexy, alright!"

"Of course you can. You're packing a lot of sexy right now. But a bit too much for an official meeting with the Hyuuga, don't you think? I mean, it's the _Hyuuga_."

Yoshino sighed. "Right."

"Don't listen to that woman. I mean, if she thinks Shikaku would take a mistress, she's clearly not of sound judgment... _and _she never saw you in that dress."

Shikaku walked inside the room, curious about the sexy dress. It was a red long backless one he didn't remember ever seeing Yoshino in. She looked gorgeous. He grunted, catching the women's attention.

"Don't wear that at the Hyuuga reception."

Yoshino sighed and put a hand on her hip (which made it all the more enticing). "I know. It's too much."

"For me, yeah. How would I be able to focus?" he asked, walking to her and kissing her cheek while caressing her back.

Yoko, lazily draped over the couch, giggled at Shikaku's admission and Yoshino's pleased smile. When they started to kiss, she discreetly left for the hallway and found Shikamaru coming in.

"Are you done?" he asked warily.

Yoko chuckled. "Yes, but your parents aren't. Want to play a game on the patio?"

"Yeah."

Five minutes later, Shikaku found them playing hanafuda. It was Yoko's favorite game and, because she was very good at it, Shikamaru had made it his mission to beat her at it.

Shikaku leaned down to rest a hand on Yoko's shoulder. "Well done putting Minato on Kakashi's case."

She lit up. "Did it work?"

"Minato thinks it's a great idea, which means it's as good as done."

She beamed. "Oh, that's wonderful! Thanks, Shikaku."

He squeezed her shoulder and left for his bedroom to remove his jacket. He met his wife there and was pulled into her embrace for another kiss.

"Do you remember what we talked about? about Yoko?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Yeah?"

"I think we should do it. You heard her. She thinks I'm sexy, she said you're hot. We think she's cute…" Yoshino gestured animatedly, showing off her excitement. "And she's not the kind of person who would take offense, right? If she says no, then we can keep going like before…"

"Alright," he agreed easily, knowing that his wife in this state couldn't suffer a refusal. "Let's do it tonight, after Shikamaru's in bed." It would be better for them both if they did it as soon as possible instead of anticipating it.

oOo

Yoko felt like something was off. Dinner had been nice but a bit quiet and tense; and when it had been time for Shikamaru to go to sleep, Yoshino had been snippy with him.

Sitting on the couch with Shikaku, watching a documentary on the land of Hot Water, Yoko considered her options. She should probably take her leave and let the two of them alone to deal with whatever was wrong… but she didn't feel like the issue was between them, rather… with her? All the more reason to leave then, she might have outstayed her welcome.

She uncurled and put her bare feet down. "It's getting late, I should g—"

Before she could stand up, a large hand rested on her forearm.

"Stay," Shikaku said calmly.

It wasn't an order, but Yoko leaned back obediently. The warm contact lingered. The tips of his fingers brushed the bare skin of her wrist. She was awkwardly aware of it, of how big and strong Shikaku's hand was compared to hers. He hadn't moved, but he seemed so much closer. She felt self-conscious of herself, her clammy hands, her wrinkled blouse, even the way she swallowed.

When Yoshino came back, she took the scene in quietly. Shikaku turned off the TV.

"We want to ask you something," Yoshino stated. She came to stand by the couch and then kneeled in front of a confused Yoko, catching her free hand. "You're a very dear friend. You've been a really great help the past year, and we had so much fun together. We want to keep that no matter what."

Not sure where this was going, Yoko replied slowly: "Me too."

"But we were feeling like…" Yoshino paused and huffed. "For the record, you're the one who taught us we should communicate more openly like this."

"Yes, yes, it's good," Yoko approved, even if she had no idea what she approved of. Communication was always good!

"Do you want to sleep with us?" Shikaku asked, stone-faced. Both women turned toward him, one with an exasperated look, the other with a flabbergasted one. "Just blurt it out if you have to. She taught us that one too," he defended himself with a shrug.

Yoko mouthed a gaping: "What?"

She checked Yoshino's face for denial, but despite her exasperation, her friend nodded in confirmation.

"Like he said."

Yoko freed her hands and raised them in a gesture requesting a pause. "Are you— Do you mean like… a one-time thing or…?"

Shikaku shrugged. "At first. More if we all agree on it."

"But if you don't want to, we can just ignore it—" Yoshino tried to say.

Yoko interrupted her with a finger across her lips. "I'm many things," she started solemnly, "but I'm not an idiot. _Yes._ Like, hello, did you see yourselves? Yes, of course, I want to!"

Shikaku chuckled, straightening from the slouch he reverted to when he tried to hide his emotions. Yoshino followed his example a moment later, giggling at the dazed expression of her friend. Their amusement brought Yoko out of her stupor, and she started to laugh too.

This sounded like a dream, but, again, not an idiot: Yoko wasn't going to point it out!

oOo

To minimize the awkwardness, they had decided to go on a date the next time Shikamaru slept over at Chouji's house.

Yoshino had put on the new sexy dress. Shikaku had made the effort to put on something other than his uniform or favorite mission attire, which is to say that he was wearing a brown jacket over black pants and a tank top. Yoko was wearing a black vest over a dark red dress.

"I need a drink," Yoko admitted as they stepped inside the izakaya they had agreed on.

"Just one," Yoshino and Shikaku reminded her at the exact same time.

Yoko glared at them. "Easy, power couple, don't gang up on me."

"Not that early in the night, no," Shikaku agreed, teasing her with a straight face.

"With ice. A drink with a lot of ice," Yoko concluded with a groan.

Yoshino chuckled as they sat down. "This is fun. We never did this when we were dating."

"Really?"

"It was the premises of war," Shikaku explained.

"Ah. Well… Let's make up for that then!"

They shared plates of food, and Yoko agreed to go for a light drink instead of saké.

The izakaya was a small restaurant, visited by a more familial crowd than shinobi getting out of their shift. There wasn't much space, and they had to sit close together, but it fitted their purpose for the night. Shikaku had an arm on the back of Yoshino's chair, and Yoko's legs were entangled with one of each of her soon-to-be-lovers. It was intimate, cozy and really warm.

Yoko removed her jacket halfway through.

Opposite her, Yoshino choked on her mouthful of saké.

Yoko hurriedly offered her a napkin since Shikaku seemed slow to react.

"Are you alright?" she asked, worried.

"Y-yeah, fine," Yoko squeaked before gesturing at Yoko's dress. "I think that's the most skin I have seen you show off, _and _I dragged you out for shopping."

"Oh." Yoko blushed, realizing belatedly that Shikaku was actually staring at her cleavage. Her dress was off-shoulder and fitted. It was very flattering for her curves (she had bought it just for tonight and would probably never wear it ever again). "Well, I have never been very comfortable showing off the… Akimichi inheritance," she admitted, embarrassed. The Yamanaka were known for their slender silhouettes, and she didn't fit that mold. It had been the subject of many mean comments throughout the years. It's why she always prefered kimono and yukata: they tended to slim down everything (with girdle and padding if necessary).

"A shame," Shikaku commented before raising a finger for more food.

Yoko hid her pleased but self-conscious smile behind her glass. Yoshino didn't miss it and winked at her with a mischievous smirk. She elbowed her husband and leaned close to whisper not-so-quietly: "Aren't you warm, too?"

Shikaku blinked before understanding and snorting. He removed his jacket, showing off his bare and sculpted biceps. "Happy?"

"Very," Yoshino replied after a glance at Yoko's red cheeks.

"Alright, stop it, would you?" Yoko grumbled good-naturedly, kicking Yoshino under the table.

She snickered but let it go.

They went back to the Nara house an hour later. Yoshino and Yoko were walking arm in arm while Shikaku was a few steps behind them (Yoshino would say that it was because he was a slow and lazy bum, but Yoko suspected that it was a habit of keeping an eye on his surroundings and subalterns).

As they went through a street with fewer lights, Yoko glanced over her shoulder to check that he was still there. Their eyes met. His calm but attentive look gave her more goosebumps than a leer would have.

"He's a cat," Yoshino whispered in her ear.

"What?"

"The aloof kind, that watches you and then _pounces_."

"Oh!" It's Yoshino's smirk more than anything that made Yoko started to giggle at the comparison. Yoshino joined in, and they slowed to calm their hilarity.

There was a loud sigh. "What now?"

The women turned around. They hadn't heard him stop right behind them.

"Told you, a cat," Yoshino said.

Yoko hid her renewed giggles behind a hand.

Shikaku watched them fondly and then shook his head. "Come on. Hurry up before you get cold. I'm not lending you my jacket."

Yoshino complained perfunctorily about his lack of gallantry. He came between them and, with one woman on each arm, he got them moving.

At the house, removing their shoes went without a mess: neither of them was drunk (they had all agreed on that) and a good balance was a given for shinobi. Going up the stairs was accomplished with more giggles when Yoshino let Yoko go first just to touch her butt.

Shikaku leaned on the wall with his hands in his pockets and watched them tease each other with a fond smile. He checked one last time that the house was in order before following them, taking his time.

When he stepped inside the bedroom, he found them cuddling on the bed. Yoko's blond curls were out of the bun she had put them in and spread on a pillow. Yoshino, who had let her own hair down for the evening, was playing with Yoko's curls dreamily.

"And here he is," Yoshino said at his entrance. "Late, like always."

"A jounin commander isn't late, Yoshino," Yoko commented, curling up into her embrace. "People are just early."

"Unless we're talking about the Hokage... yeah, pretty much," Shikaku agreed, smirking and leaning against the doorframe.

"What about your wife?" Yoshino asked, squinting at him in warning.

He straightened. "I'm here, dear… just enjoying the view."

He undid his ponytail and closed the door behind him.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed! Sorry, but I don't plan on developing this story more (as I said, I'm not in the mood for anything too complex, and I think I covered everything I wanted about the OT3). _


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